Wrexham beauty Gabrielle Shaw says she has both brains and beauty after she beats 50 finalists to succeed 2012's Sophie Mould as the new Miss Wales

The wait to find out who will fly the flag for Wales at this year’s Miss World beauty pageant is finally over.

Gabrielle Shaw, 19, of Ruabon in Wrexham, was last night crowned Miss Wales in front of a packed auditorium at St David’s Hall, during the much-anticipated competition final.

Wearing a pink halter neck evening dress, embroidered with silver sequins, Gabrielle beamed as the sparkling diamond-studded crown was placed on her head.

Student Gabrielle said: “I was really nervous. I was worried my nerves would get the better of me, but somehow I managed to get through it. The news still hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Proud mum Sharon said: “It was nail biting watching her in the final. All the girls looked absolutely beautiful in their evening dresses. I wouldn’t have wanted to be a judge.”

The 19 year old, who was one of 50 finalists, said support from the other girls had helped her to overcome pre-show nerves. She added: “I have made some really good friends. Every single person was absolutely lovely. The atmosphere backstage was so supportive and everyone has congratulated me.”

Gabrielle Shaw of Wrexham has been crowned Miss Wales 2013

Gabrielle reached the final five in last year’s contest, but was beaten to the top spot by Sophie Mould, whose reign as Miss Wales came to an end last night. Her successor said: “I came to the competition with a completely different mentality this year. More than anything, having the right presence on the stage is important. I just tried to act naturally.”

Gabrielle is no stranger to the stage. The student, who is currently taking a gap year, started lessons at The Stage Coach stage school in Wrexham at the age of five, before studying Performing Arts at The Hammond theatre school in Chester for two years.

She hopes her singing and dancing skills will help her to bring victory to Wales at the Miss World pageant, which will take place in Bali in September.

The adventurous teenager is excited about travelling to Indonesia. “I love travel. My dad spends a lot of time working in Thailand, so I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to travel,” she said.

Gabrielle, who was born and bred in Wrexham, is the baby of her family, with four older sisters and two older brothers. She said: “My sisters are really girly, so I’ve always been interested in clothes and make-up. I’ve always thought I would like to give Miss Wales a shot.”

Gabrielle added she had been attracted to the competition by the amount of charity work involved. “My family has always supported charities, from the local church to Cancer Research,” she said. This year’s contest has already raised more than £23,000, which will be distributed to the Bobath Children’s Therapy Centre Wales and the official Miss World charity Beauty With a Purpose.

Gabrielle Shaw of Wrexham has been crowned Miss Wales 2013

Gabrielle is keen to counter any negative perceptions of the beauty pageant. “I know some people think it encourages the objectification of women, but I don’t think that could be further from the truth,” she said. She hopes to use her new position to promote women’s education and provide a positive role model for young girls.

“When I was in school, I was never one of the cool kids. I was very academic and I loved literature. I would love to go into schools and speak to young girls to get the message out there that you can be beautiful and intelligent,” she said.

“I want to show that academia is just as important as looks. It’s great to have the perfect tan and perfect hair, but you have to have a beautiful mind too,” she added.

Gabrielle has earned a place at the London College of Accountancy to study law and business and will start the course in October. But before then, she is determined to focus on the task in hand, hoping to build on the performance of Sophie, who came second at the Miss World finals in China last year.

She said: “I can’t wait to start working. Sophie has done such a great job and I want to keep the flag flying for Wales.”

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